Originally a Dutch Colonial Revival, the house had a number of small additions that chopped the house up into rooms with little relationship to each other. A tree fell on the house and spurred the owners to consider major renovations. The owners wished to rationalize all the different pieces into a coherent whole.

The solution consisted of preserving the Dutch Colonial facade on the street side and wrapping the different additions in a new shell. The lake-side of the house was opened to the view. The square footage of the house was increased considerably with a full third floor.

The owners were interested in using green materials which meant natural materials that have long life spans, have few VOC's, and are easily recycled. Final materials included cedar, metal roofing, and tile. Paint had minimal VOC's. Windows were energy efficient low E, argon filled. The house was fully insulated to reduce energy costs.